Muay Thai and Dips

Workout 4 May 2009:

Muay Thai training and conditioning, 30 minutes

Weighted Dips, five sets of five reps

Results: dips, 25-30-35-40-45lbs
Previous best: none

Today's Thai practice focused on kicking and leg work now that my back is to the point where it can tolerate a lot of hip movement. My biggest limiting factor is still hip and leg flexibility, especially on the left. It's been several weeks since I've worked on my kicks, so I was glad to see that little, if any, flexibility has been lost.

The last drill was a round of punching on focus pads followed by a punch pyramid. I was out of breath and my shoulders were especially fatigued and I wasn't sure I could get through the pyramid without a short rest. Fortunately, right near the end, I shifted into what I call "third gear" and stormed through the last dozen or so punches. This third gear is the adrenaline surge, much like a runner's high, just without the running. This is the second time in a month or so this has happened, and I can't remember any other such occurrences in the past. Hopefully these continue to become more frequent.

I did the weighted dips with iron plates loaded onto a dip belt. It's been a very long time since I've done any, so I went slowly today with the weight. Next time, I should be able to do a 5x5 at 40-45lbs, or do a progression starting from about 35lbs and going to 55lbs.

Mark Rippetoe Quote of the Day:
"The only legitimate use for a glove is to cover an injury... a desire to prevent callus formation (possibly so as to not snag one's pantyhose) does not constitute a legitimate use."